A ruling is expected Thursday on whether to grant the Alliance-AFT teachers association a temporary injunction to keep Dallas ISD trustees from naming teachers to a commission that will create a home-rule charter.

The 15-member commission must include at least four teachers selected by professionals on a district advisory committee. Alliance-AFT contends the professional staff members on DISD's advisory committee were improperly selected - appointed instead of elected.

Judge Carl Ginsberg of 193rd Dallas County District Court agreed during a hearing Wednesday that some professionals on the advisory committee “were illegally there.” He is expected to make a ruling on the case on Thursday.

At least seven of 18 of the professionals on the advisory committee were not elected, according to court testimony and documents. Texas Education Code says that professional staff must nominate and elect its representatives for the advisory committee. Professional staff includes teachers, principals and instructional coaches.

Alliance-AFT wants the judge to require that elections be held for the professional members. The group wants the judge to delay the board’s deadline to create a home-rule commission until the fall, after teachers return to school and can vote on their professional representatives.

The group Support Our Public Schools initiated the home-rule process in DISD. Group members turned in enough signatures on a petition to require the DISD board to create the commission A majority of voters would have to approve the charter in an election with at least a 25 percent turnout. The Dallas effort is the first use of the 1995 home-rule law in Texas.

Under the law, trustees have 30 days - until June 23 - to name a commission. The commission would have a year to create a charter.

Dallas ISD trustees were expected to make appointments to the commission at a 5 p.m. meeting Thursday. But it is unclear how their process would be impacted if the judge rules in Alliance-AFT’s favor.

Ginsberg did note that the law requires an appointment of a 15-member commission – and he doesn’t see how that could happen without the four teachers being seated.

The judge also brought up the urgency surrounding the home-rule issue. Support Our Public Schools is hoping to have the proposed charter on the November ballot when a big turnout is expected for the gubernatorial race.

Ginsberg discounted that everything could be done in time to make the November ballot, regardless of what he decides. He said that the deadline to get on the ballot is Aug. 19. He noted that the Texas Education Agency commissioner also has 30 days to review the proposed charter, and he said it would have to go to the U.S. Department of Justice if there’s a change in the district’s governance. He said the commission would have about 26 days to write the charter.